Photo: Northern Echo
Private William (Billy) Nelson was one of the men shot at dawn for desertion.
"Private William Nelson, 14th Durham Light Infantry, had committed his offence in the vicinity of Ypres. The court heard that he had two previous convictions for absence, for which he received a sentence of one year's imprisonment followed by a sentence of penal servitude for life. By the time the Commander-in-Chief had determined Nelson's fate, the private's unit had travelled south to the Somme. He was executed at Acheux. It is interesting to note that Private Nelson's home town of Seaham Harbour had been shelled by a German submarine on 11th July. It is not of course possible to determine whether or not the soldier was aware of this incident, nor whether his possible concern had any bearing on his actions." Shot at Dawn; Putkowski and Sykes; Leo Cooper, 1989, ISBN 0 85052 295 1
"Private Billy Nelson who enlisted at the age of 17 with the 14th DLI a month after War was declared. His father had been taken prisioner in Germany at the outbreak of war aboard the collier Seaham Harbour and shortly after signing up he lost his mother, leaving him responsible for his sister Norah aged 13, and brother Harry aged 10. Having endured some of the bloodiest horrors of the conflict whilst fighting at Ypres, young Billy went absent without leave on the anniversary of his mother's death and again went missing two months later. Deeply disturbed and clearly in need of help he was instead court martialled, field punished and sentenced to death. 5.15am 11th August 1916." Images of Seaham; Trevor Williamson, The People’s History Series 1999 ISBN 1 902527062 1999.
See also Blindfold and Alone: British Military Executions in the Great War. Cathryn Corns and John Hughes-Wilson, Cassell, 2001, ISBN 0 304 16449 5
Northern Echo (undated) carries an article about Pte. Nelson along with the photo shown here.
William Barry Nelson is remembered at Seaham on S117.04
